Report finds discrimination against students with a disability rife in Victorian schools

The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission reviewed all types of schools in Victoria and found widespread bullying and discrimination.

More than 500 educators reported using restraints to control disabled students. Child advocates have labelled the report's findings are "inexplicable" and "dumbfounding".

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3596473.htm

Autism Links

Social tips for young people and adults with Aspergers

http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/communicating-and-interacting/social-skills/social-skills-for-adolescents-and-adults.aspx


School Bullies Prey on Children With Autism

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/school-bullies-prey-on-children-with-autism/


It’s an absolute nightmare: maternal experiences of enrolling children diagnosed with autism in primary school in Sydney, Australia

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.717882

Autism Links

And the latest cause of autism is ...

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/public_health/And-the-latest-cause-of-autism-is-----.html


Bullying of Autistic Students "A Profound Public Health Problem"

http://thautcast.com/drupal5/content/bullying-autistic-students-profound-public-health-problem 


Autistic boy 'left in toilet'

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/autistic-boy-left-in-toilet-20120904-25bbw.html


Insomnia in Children with Aspergers & High-Functioning Autism

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2012/09/insomnia-in-children-with-aspergers.html

Disability Hate Crime

Disability Hate Crime video from Gloucestershire Police in the UK

Autism Links

a positive one:

How Pokémon Was Born From Bug Collecting and Asperger’s Syndrome

As the creator of Nintendo's Pokémon series, Satoshi Tajiri is one of the most important (if not well-known) developers working in video games today. Like another Nintendo legend, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, Tajiri's most popular work has been directly inspired by his childhood experiences and hobbies. While Miyamoto's Zelda was the product of boyhood explorations, however, Tajiri's role-playing juggernaut is the product of, as you may expect, boyhood insect collections.

http://kotaku.com/5806664/how-pokemon-was-born-from-bug-collecting-and-aspergers-syndrome


and a negative one that may be upsetting:

Teens charged over 'torture' of autistic boy

Two teenage girls have been charged after allegedly torturing a 12-year-old autistic boy in Townsville. The boy was allegedly kidnapped, tortured and sexually assaulted last Sunday morning by the two girls, aged just 13 and 14, the Townsville Bulletin reports.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8502942/teens-charged-over-torture-of-autistic-boy

HAS YOUR CHILD BEEN EXPERIENCING BULLYING?

HAS YOUR CHILD BEEN EXPERIENCING BULLYING?
Would you like your child to
• develop more resilience,
• become more assertive,
• feel better about him/herself?
If so, you may be interested in a program conducted by students at the University of Canberra Psychology Clinic: “Goodbye Bully!”
Please contact UC Clinic Reception at the University of Canberra on 62015843. For further information, contact
Dr Pam Connor pam.connor@canberra.edu.au

Bully Free World

http://specialneeds.thebullyproject.com/toolkit


Special Needs Anti-Bullying Toolkit

Welcome to our specially designed tool kit for parents, teachers and students dealing with bullying and children with special needs.

This toolkit is a set of resources for people to confront bullying of children with special needs from all angles - from talking to your children to knowing your rights to teaching tolerance in schools. Start by reading the Top Ten Facts to know about bullying and children with special needs, and then learn about the unique challenges children with special needs face when encountering bullying.

Countering Harassment & Bullying Workshop coming up next week

Training Opportunity offered by the ACT Human Rights Commission
Countering Harassment & Bullying Workshop coming up next week on Thursday 8
March
Are you confident that you could deal with harassment and bullying if you
heard about it, saw it happening, or were experiencing it in the workplace?
Our workshop provides comprehensive and lively coverage of these critical
questions, and will:
* Increase your insight into how harassment and bullying can happen;
* Enable you to recognise behaviour that could be harassment and
bullying;
* Enhance your understanding of the impact of harassment and
bullying;
* Build your knowledge of how harassment and bullying is covered by
both the
Discrimination Act 1991, and ACT work safety law; and
* Provide strategies for dealing with, and preventing harassment and
bullying.
This workshop is interactive, and draws on real-life cases. It is open to
anyone interested in changing their workplace culture for the better,
whatever your role within your organisation.
Held from 9:30am - 1pm in civic, $200 or free for the community sector or
private individuals.
To register, go to http://www.hrc.act.gov.au/content.php/content.view/id/184
or ring Jennifer Bauer on 6205 2222 for more information.

Story - Teacher made boy sit in box

WILDOMAR, Calif. (KABC) -- A Riverside County teacher is accused of telling a boy with Asperger syndrome to take a timeout in a cardboard box. His mother is outraged and is taking legal action.

"He can't just be left in a classroom being abused. My child was abused," said mother Kim Rollins.
Rollins says a teacher at Ronald Reagan Elementary School, where her son attends fourth grade, went too far after placing him in a cardboard box. Her 10-year-old son Sage has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism.
"A special needs child that gets put in a box is just, I can't even comprehend it. How humiliating," Rollins said.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/inland_empire&id=8562166

Children with Disabilities & Education - stories & links

Bullied boy can't go to new school because of high rent
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/12773639/bullied-boy-can-t-go-to-new-school-because-of-high-rent/

A deaf boy who was bullied at his Mandurah school will not be able to start at a special-needs school in Mosman Park today because his mother cannot afford to rent in the area. Mitchell Wilkes-Douglas, 11, told how a "gang" of boys at Glencoe Primary School had verbally and physically abused him, calling him "a deaf mute". His mother Myra Smithers said her son often came home with cuts and bruises inflicted by his tormenters. "It was very bad," Mitchell said. "The bullies were throwing chairs and tables at me and swearing at me." As a result, Ms Smithers had organised a place for Mitchell at the Mosman Park School for Deaf Children. But the single-mother, who cares for her son full time, cannot afford rental accommodation in Perth.

Schools worried overhaul will cut disability funds
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/schools-worried-overhaul-will-cut-disability-funds-20120202-1qvou.html

THE state government will overhaul the way it funds school students with disabilities and principals and parents are fearing vital teachers' aides will be lost, classes disrupted and students left to fall through the cracks. The changes follow what the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, described as a ''stuff up'' that left hundreds of students with disabilities without transport to school this week after contracts were renegotiated. The NSW Teachers Federation, in a fax to schools across the state, is warning of ''more bad news'' from the anticipated extension of a controversial trial program from the start of next term.

Thousands of parents illegally home schooling
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-28/thousands-of-parents-illegally-home-schooling/3798008?WT.svl=news3

As a new school year begins, more than 50,000 Australian children will be home-schooled and in most cases, their parents are doing it illegally. It is compulsory to send children between the ages of six and 16 to school, or register them for home schooling, but more parents are opting out of the traditional school system and keeping their children at home. However, thousands of parents across the country are not registered and that means they potentially face prosecution.

Police Officer Charged (with assault) - Bendigo Vic

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/crime-and-law/police-officer-charged/2054475.aspx

A MARYBOROUGH police officer has been charged with assault after a raid on an intellectually disabled man’s home last year.
The senior constable is facing eleven charges including multiple counts of intentionally causing serious injury, attempting to pervert the course of justice and perjury.
A second officer, also a senior constable at Maryborough, has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and perjury.
The Office of Police Integrity launched an investigation into the incident after claims the men seriously assaulted the victim in March last year.

Photo Album - Imgur

absolutely loving this!

Photo Album - Imgur
http://imgur.com/a/NXgPl

some autism related links

The obsessive joy of autism

http://www.shiftjournal.com/2011/11/30/the-obsessive-joy-of-autism/

another Canberra ASD related blog

http://erosha.wordpress.com/

bullying and ASD

http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/articles/bullying

kids with ASD benefit from training peers

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238450.php

hidden potential of kids with ASD

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-hidden-potential-of-autistic-kids&WT.mc_id=SA_syn_LiveScience

autism, ability & adaptation : asking the right questions

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/201112/autism-ability-and-adaptation-asking-the-right-questions

autism awareness – what are you doing (film)

http://www.whatareyoudoingfilm.com/

Cool Kids Anxiety Group

Cool Kids Anxiety Program

The West Belconnen Child and Family Centre will be running a Cool Kids Anxiety Program for children aged between 9-12 years in the first term next year.

The Cool Kids Anxiety Program aims to help parents and children to:

· Learn about and understand their feelings of anxiety

· Develop coping skills and strategies to deal with these feeling

· Develop self confidence

· Learn problem solving skills

· Meet other children and families from a similar situation


The cool kids program will provide parents and children with information and support to help them deal with and cope with anxiety.


Who: Children who experience anxiety aged between 9-12 years
Where: West Belconnen Child and Family Centre. Corner of Luke and Starke St. Kippax.
When: The program will be run weekly over 8 weeks commencing on Monday 13th February 2012 from 3:30-5:00pm (Sessions will run on the 20/02, 27/02, 05/03, 12/03, 19/03, 26/03 and 02/04) There will also be two parent information sessions run On Monday 13 February 2012 and Monday 5 March 2012 from 1:00-2:30pm

Cost: Participation is free.

Bookings: Ph 6205 2904




Please pass on this information to families where you are aware of young people that would benefit from attending this program. If you have any queries please call Brianna on 6205 2904.

Free Resources - Cyber Bullying & Self Esteem

resources include PECS type images. designed for school students but may also be suitable for young adults, or adaptable for adults.

main link http://www.ashs.wa.edu.au/esc/index.html

link to cyber bullying manual (word document) http://www.ashs.wa.edu.au/esc/CYBERBULLYING.docx

link to self esteem manual (word document) http://www.ashs.wa.edu.au/esc/Self%20Esteem%20Manual.docx